Alabama Crimson Tide news and notes from the weekend.
Kane Wommack and Dijon Lee hint at a much more aggressive Alabama defense in 2026
Much to the delight of some fans, and certainly Nick Saban, it appears that the Alabama defense is preparing to be a lot more aggressive in its approach overall in 2026.
Wommack mentioned after practice last week when talking about the LB group that they were preaching a more aggressive approach from that unit:
"One thing we wanted to make sure is that we were more aggressive from the ‘backing core, guys getting downhill and being more aggressive at the line of scrimmage," Wommack said.
That won't be limited to just the linebackers, either. Sophomore CB Dijon Lee talked about what the corners had been working on that points to that aggression being prevalent in the secondary, too:
“This season, we emphasized press game more," Lee said. "Definitely going to be pressing a lot more this season. …I love playing press coverage; I’m a taller corner, get hands on people, disrupt routes.”
One of the biggest criticisms of Wommack's defensive scheme during his two years in Tuscaloosa has been the group playing on its toes too much and allowing the offense to dictate terms. It appears those days are over.
Cederian Morgan gets a strong endorsement from Lotzeir Brooks
Lotzeir Brooks knows what it takes to get on the field as a freshman, and he knows that Cederian Morgan is on the path to do just that.
Speaking at Alabama Fan and Media Day on Saturday, Brooks offered some high praise for freshman WR:
"He’s a huge, huge receiver," Brooks said about Morgan. "He’s got great talent, great ball skills. He can catch the ball better than anybody I’ve ever seen. I like Cederian Morgan a lot - we all like him. He’s definitely going to play.”
That praise continues a constant theme for Morgan since he stepped foot on campus. It's only a matter of time before he's making a big impact for the Crimson Tide.
5-star freshman RB EJ Crowell is already making noise in practice
The most anticipated newcomer for Alabama this season is 5-star RB EJ Crowell, who has the weight of the world on his shoulders as he looks to play a major role in the revitalization of a dormant Tide running game.
Crowell missed some valuable time in the spring with an injury, but he has hit the ground running in fall camp. Practice attendees have noted his obvious explosiveness, and sophomore DL London Simmons left little room for ambiguity about Crowell's potential impact.
When asked on Saturday to name a player poised to break out based on what he'd seen in practice, Simmons offered a simple answer:
"EJ Crowell, for sure," Simmons said.
Marshall Pritchett praises both Austin Mack and Keelon Russell in QB battle
Sophomore TE Marshall Pritchett had a lot of praise for both Austin Mack and Keelon Russell when discussing the two quarterbacks competing for the starting job. He called Mack a "prototype NFL QB" and praised his knowledge of the system.
But his words about Russell were even more difficult to ignore. He called the star sophomore "dynamite in a bottle," praising his ability to make plays that leave you shaking your head.
It's that upside with Russell that makes him so intriguing as the Alabama starter. The battle rages on, and the two upcoming scrimmages will go a long way toward deciding it, but it's getting harder to deny Russell's talent.
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